Winners: Larry Walker, Baseball
1998 - Feature Story
Larry Walker’s always hustling, crowd-pleasing style of baseball had won him plenty of fans in 1997. That was his monster season, in which he won the National League Most Valuable Player award. But he still hit some new heights in 1998; not only did he win his first of what would be three batting championships, by averaging a robust .363 for the Colorado Rockies, he tied his career high with 46 doubles (despite injuries that limited him to 130 games) and also recorded a career-best 20-game hit streak. Along the way, he made the All-Star team and won another of what would total seven Gold Gloves. Walker also had a candy bar named after him; the Larry Walker Bar which was a local Denver-area confection. Larry made sure all proceeds went to charity.
Career Highlights
- 1998, 1999, 2001 National League Batting Champion
- 1998 Lou Marsh Memorial Award
- 1998 Lionel Conacher Award (Canada’s male athlete of the year)
- 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 Gold Glove Award, National League Outfielder
- 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 Tip O'Neill Award (Canadian baseball player of the year)